Vehicle-mounted equipment

ABSTRACT

A vehicle attachment includes a three-position blade mounted on a frame, the wings of the blade being connected Lo one another by a pivot shaft. Elements for attachment to a self-propelled vehicle are situated on one side of the frame, while brackets for connection, via sliders, to the wings of the blade are situated on the other side. Hydraulic cylinders for rotating the wings of the blade are symmetrically fastened to the frame, between the brackets. The rods of the hydraulic cylinders are pivotally connected to the pivot shaft of the blade wings, and the body of each hydraulic cylinder is connected to the frame by a pin. The pivotal connection of the blade to the attachment frame via sliders makes it possible to alter the angle at which the sections of the blade are mounted in a horizontal plane, with the wings of the blade being rotated in synchronism by the movement of the hydraulic cylinders.

The present invention relates to the field of road engineering and more particularly to the construction of a mountable equipment for providing a primary passage on snow fields, for leveling and moving ground and snow, and can find use as a mountable equipment devised in particular to operate with the “Bobcat”-type mini lift truck.

It is known a bulldozer-type snowplow comprising a V-shaped pivoted blade with a central pivoted axle mounted with a possibility to control the angle of the knife inclination to the road surface. The central pivoted hinge attachment to the tractor frame is made in the lower part of the blade with the possibility to change the inclination angle of the knife cutting edge to the road surface. The angular displacement of the blade wings is carried out by respective hydraulic cylinders operating independently of each other (see U.S. Pat. No. 3,157,099, Int. Cl. E02F3/76, E02F3/80, published on 17 Nov. 1964).

A drawback of said construction is the need to use hydraulic cylinders to provide an angular displacement of the wings with a long stroke. Furthermore, the possibility to mount it only onto bulldozer-type crawler tractors is another drawback.

It is known a plow-type snowplow comprising a basic chassis, a frame mounted on the same and carrying a two-element blade both elements of which are joined to the frame by a vertical cylindrical hinge mounted on the center of the frame and by the first ends of braces pivotally fixed on said elements, the second ends of which being pivotally linked to a slider mounted movably onto a longitudinal guide of the frame, said frame being provided with an additional longitudinal guide, with an additional slider mounted on the same and located between a guiding screw linked to the transmission of the basic chassis, and with a slit nut each part of which is spring-loaded respective to a corresponding slider with the possibility of a perpendicular translation about the longitudinal axis of the screw and being linked to a corresponding lever mechanism attached to the same (see RU patent No 2035541, Int. Cl. E01 H 5/06, published on 20 May 1995).

Locating the guides with movable sliders along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle motion increases the dimensions of the blade along the longitudinal axis and increases the turning radius of the basic chassis carrying the mounted equipment, since the blade wings are separated from the vehicle front axle by a long distance.

Transmitting shifting loads via the long lead screw does not enable to carry out work involving a heavy working material, such as displacement of sand or crushed stone, nor grading ground.

The closest technical solution to the claimed one is a snowplow devised to be mounted onto an automotive vehicle (a car provided with a towing hitch), attached in the back part of the car, comprising a V-shape three-position blade the wings of which are linked, by means of bars, to sliders pivotally attached onto a telescopic tube (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,322, Int. Cl. E01H5/06, E01H5/04, published on 24 Sep. 1991).

As the frame, the known snowplow uses a telescopic tube that is a guide for the translation of sliders pivotally linked with the blade wings via rods. The turning angle of the blade wings is changed by a manual positioning when the vehicle is stopped or is in parking. The blade wings are pivoted in synchronism in both directions. Each blade wing is provided with its own pivoted hinge separated from each other by a given space.

A drawback of the above known construction resides in its low strength due to the overhanging structure of the frame which determines its low functional possibilities, in particular, the known construction of the blade cannot provide work with a heavy working material, such as ground, sand and gravel.

Besides, this fact hampers the control of the snowplow in narrow spaces, while increasing the turning radius of the vehicle, which reduces the working maneuverability of the whole assembly.

The task of the present invention is to improve the maneuverability and the functional potentialities of the vehicle-mounted equipment.

The technical result achieved thanks to the solution of the task put forward above is the provision of good strength parameters and low dimensions when solving multifunctional goals due to the maximal approaching the attachment place of moving parts to the frame structure of the basic unit.

The task put forward is achieved by the vehicle-mounted equipment comprising a three-position blade mounted on a frame, the blade wings of which are linked to each other by a turning axle, and hydraulic cylinders of the blade wings, in which, according to the present invention, each of the wings carries an upper guide and a lower guide attached to the same, the upper and lower guides embody sliders linked to the frame by axles, the hydraulic cylinders for turning the blade wings are attached to the frame and rods of the hydraulic cylinder are pivotally linked to the pivot axle of the blade wings

The claimed combination of characteristics enables to provide:

-   -   compactness of the construction thanks to the arrangement of         parts and units of the vehicle-mounted equipment in a minimal         technological space;     -   the strength and maneuverability of the construction thanks to         the absence of cantilevered units;     -   functionality of the construction: it is possible to carry out         work with different working materials such as snow, ground,         sand, gravel on the same equipment thanks to the possibility to         modify the position of the blade wings.

This is conditioned by arranging on the frame construction assemblies for turning the blade wings to different positions depending on the required working conditions.

The claimed invention is illustrated by drawings where

FIG. 1 shows the vehicle-mounted equipment in a top view,

FIG. 2 in a rear view,

FIG. 3 in a side view,

FIG. 4 in a front view.

Items in the Figures designate the following: 1 shows the frame of the mounted equipment; 2 shows the blade; 3 shows the wings of the blade 2; 4 shows the rotation axis of the wings 3 of the blade 2; 5 shows equipment fastening elements to the automotive vehicle; 6 shows brackets for joining with the wings 3 of the blade 2; 7 shows sliders; 8 shows the guides of the sliders 7; 9 shows the axle of joining the sliders 7 to the frame 1; 10 shows the stops; 11 shows hydraulic cylinders for rotating the wings 3 of the blade 2; 12 shows the pistons of the hydraulic cylinders 11; 13 shows the axis of attachment of the hydraulic cylinders 11 to the frame 1; 14 shows knives of the blade 2.

The vehicle-mounted equipment comprises a frame 1 carrying a three-position blade 2, the wings 3 of which are connected to each other by a turning axle 4

The wings 3 of the blade 2 may be made of bent sheet metal and have reinforcements in their rear part, for example as two longitudinal channel-like sections joined by transverse ribs in the longitudinal direction, which is necessary to provide the necessary strength characteristics of the wings 3 of the blade 2.

The mounting frame 1 is designed for mounting the equipment onto the basic plate of a mini front-end loader and represents the basic supporting structure for all of the components of the mounted equipment.

On one side, the frame 1 carries members 5 for fastening the same to the automotive vehicle, and on the other side, it carries brackets 6 for linking to the wings 3 of the blade 2 with the help of sliders 7 (FIG. 1).

Each wing 3 of the blade 2 is attached to the frame 1 by means of four guides 8 of cylindrical shape mounted on the wings 3 of the blade 2 and by means of four sliders 7 pivotally connected to the frame 1 by means of axles 9 (FIGS. 1 and 2).

The guides 8 contain stops 10 for limiting the motion of sliders 7 upon the same.

In addition, the stops 10 enable, in the extreme positions of the blade 2, a synchronous position of the wings 3 of the blade 2 about the longitudinal axis of the last.

The frame carries, between the brackets 6, symmetrically mounted hydraulic cylinders 1 for turning the wings 3 of the blade 2.

The rods 12 of hydraulic cylinders 11 are pivotally connected to the axle 4 for turning the wings 3 of the blade 2, the cylinder 11 body being pivotally connected to the frame 1 by means of axles 13 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3).

The sliders 7 are designed to provide a hinged connection of the blade 2 to the mounting frame 1 and are used for a synchronous turning of the wings 3 of the blade 2 at the motion of the rods 12 of the hydraulic cylinders 11. The connection to the blade 1 is provided by conjugation of the cylindrical embraced surfaces of the guides 8 mounted on the back plane of the blade 2 with cylindrical embraced surfaces of the sliders 7 arranged perpendicular to their turning axles 13.

The blade 2 comprises, in its bottom part, knives 14 made from sheet material having welded parts with a hard alloy electrode to increase wear resistance of the last (FIG. 4).

The snowplow is operated as follows

When carrying out a primary passage in the snow fields, in the piles of building bulk materials, use is made of a sharp-angled arrangement of the wings 3 of the blade 2 (position I, FIG. 1).

For this purpose, the rods 12 of the hydraulic cylinders 11 are pushed out to the maximum length. The guides move along the sliders 7, the slider 7 turns on an axle 9, expanding the wings 3 of the blade 2 around the axle 4 until getting an acute interior angle between them.

When preparing the equipment to operate for moving sand or gravel, or snow banks (up to 300 mm), use is made of an expanded horizontal position of the wings 3 of the blade 2 (position II, FIG. 1).

For this purpose, the rods 12 of the hydraulic cylinders 11 are moved into the housing of the same at a needed value.

In this case, the guides 8 are moved in the opposite direction with respect to the previous position I, the slider performs a rotation in the direction of the axle of turning the wings 3 of the blade 2 to an expanded horizontal position of the wings 3 of the blade 2.

The position II provides for the ability to obtain a larger wing surface, with the possibility to reduce the number of runs and the single coverage area of the working surface.

To prepare operation for pushing out ground/snow, for example, for removing snow from limited areas, or when performing ground planning work, for example, when filling up a trench, use is made of a folded position of the wings 3 of the blade 2 (the position III, FIG. 1).

In this case, the guides 8 move on the sliders 7 further to the stop 10.

The sliders 7 turn to the maximum to the turning axle 4 of the wings 3 of the blade 2, unfolding them at an external obtuse angle.

The position III provides for pushing out volumes of the working material to be displaced with minimal loss of its volume, which eliminates the need to return the vehicle for repeating the operation of removing materials spilled when pushing out.

At any provision of the wings 3 of the blade 2, the load from the working ground is distributed from the knife 14 located on the blade 2 to the guides 8, and from the guides 8 to the sliders 7 and further onto the frame 1 via the axles 9 for turning the sliders 7.

The advantage of the claimed invention is the ability to change the angle of installing the blade elements in the horizontal plane, due to the drive for rotating the same from the sliders providing for a hinge link of the blade with the mounting frame with a synchronous turn of the blade wings thanks to the motion of the hydraulic cylinder rods, which improves strength, maneuverability of the constriction and a compact design of the last, together with the extension of functional possibilities of the vehicle-mounted equipment. 

1. Vehicle-mounted equipment comprising a three-position blade mounted on a frame, wings of the blade being linked to each other by a pivot axle, and hydraulic cylinders for turning the blade wings, wherein each of the wings carries an upper guide and a lower guide attached to the same, the upper and lower guides embody sliders linked to the frame by axles, the hydraulic cylinders for turning the blade wings are attached to the frame and rods of the hydraulic cylinder are pivotally linked to the pivot axle of the blade wings. 